A Stealing Paw
by Obsessionsaremylife
Summary: Newt really needs to keep a closer tab on his Niffler, if only to save his apartment from looking like Grindleward has ransaked it. (Or in which Niffler helps to bring about another big moment for Newt and Tina) (Spoilers from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)[Part Two of the Helping Paws Series]


**This is another part in the series of how Newt's animals kinda "ship" Newtina... though to be honest Niffler really just ships him and shiny stuff...**

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Newt Scamander was not a vain person.

He didn't particularly give any thought to his appearance or how tattered his clothes might become after a long day out tending to and observing magical beasts. In fact other than to make sure both his clothes and appearance were fit to be aid him in his work, he never gave it a second thought.

This philosophy was applied for for his living quarters as well. He had never given much thought to how messy his living quarters were and deep down was quite thankful that his girlfriend did not mind either. Indeed he had tried to surprise her with a romantic meal for an anniversary of theirs once and when she walked in to a spotless apartment she wanted to know if everything was alright because she had never seen his apartment so clean, it was still one of his fondest memories he held of them together.

But this mess, even for Newt was too much. He walked into to see his house ransacked and while his mind inevitably did jump to Grindleward which caused him to have his wand out in his hands in seconds, thinking about the dark wizard who was currently terrifying Europe and held a particular dark spot for Newt himself, had found out where he lived , then his heart plummeted into his stomach when the thought crossed his mind... had Grindleward taken his creatures? It was only when he saw the suitcase in the corner untouched did he let out the breath he hadn't realised he had inhaled and he started to look deeper into the mess , by doing this he noticed the pattern and then groaned as he saw the odd smatterings of shiny things littered around the front room leading to his bedroom.

"Niffler!" Newt exclaimed and heard a squeak confirming his suspicions. "How do you keep getting out?" He thought to himself, he knew the creature couldn't have gotten out of the apartment since he had left it hours earlier, he sealed and created wards around his apartment so no one but him, Tina and Queenie (and by extension Jacob) could get in. Since he took the Niffler in after finding the creature hurt and close to death, Newt had thankfully been able to nurse him back to health. The unfortunate consequence of that was that he now had to make sure nothing shiny he owned was on not on show to the Niffler.

Newt double checked that the door was closed to make sure the creature couldn't get out of his apartment and then started to track the creature so he could put him back into the briefcase and his proper home.

"Where are you, you little bugger?" He said with the affection that he had grown for the creature even though it seemed like Niffler made it his personal mission on earth to make his life harder.

He paused and listened and heard the unmistakable creak of the floorboards to the right of him. Steadying his breathes his used the corner of his eye to see the Niffler standing there desperately trying to blend in with the dark colours of Newt's couch. Newt continued on still keeping an eye on him letting the Niffler think he had not been spotted and smirked slightly when he saw that the Niffler relax thinking he got away with it, Niffler had even tried to move closer to the shut door until Newt turned his wand out and before the Niffler could even react and Newt called out clearly.

" _Accio!"_

Newt caught the Niffler with ease and automatically started to turn him upside down shaking him so the things he had pillaged would fall out. Newt paused for a second when he realised his pocket watch had fallen out of the Niffler's pouch

"I should have realised you took it you little thief" Newt knelt down keeping a firm grasp on Niffler to pick up his watch and put it back into his waistcoat. "Okay what else have you taken?"

He continued to shake him down much to the Niffler's displeasure and valiant attempts to keep some of his precious shiny stuff amongst its laughter as Newt continued to tickle him.

With a final clunk the last of Niffler's pillaged winnings were now on the floor and with a swipe of his wand Newt banished the assorted things back to their rightful place noting and with some amusement some of the stuff he thought had disappeared years ago was all the sudden back in his apartment. The Niffler continued to squirm trying to get out of Newt's hands and actually managed to just as Newt's apartment door opened.

It was only through Tina's fast reflexes that she caught the creature before he could disappear to the outside world, she stroked the Niffler on the top of his head and automatically he started to relax and almost purr in pleasure.

"How... How?!" Newt stuttered as Tina looked amused continuing to calm The Niffler down "How did you do that?" Newt asked shocked at the scene in front of him.

"I wish this was the first time I came to your apartment and I wasn't on the lookout for an escaped creature as I opened the door" Tina smiled brightly and gave Niffler a glare when he noticed her necklace and his paws went to grab it "No!" She firmly stated and Niffler pretended like he wasn't going to try to steal the necklace anyway.

Newt was speechless "I... why does he listen to you?"

Tina smirked and walked towards him kissing him gently on the cheek "Well hello to you too, Sweetheart." She teased as Newt looked abashed at his rude greeting.

Newt grinned before greeting her with a soft kiss on her lips "Hello, hon" He smirked at her slightly glazed expression before he turned his gaze to glare at the Niffler who was just lying there trying to look innocent. "He just never listens to me like that."

"Maybe he just likes me better?" Tina laughed before she stopped to smirk, she then gasped as she spotted something on the Niffler's body "Apparently he likes me a lot" She pulled out an engagement ring which was lodged into Niffler's fur, ignoring as the creature tried to take it back.

Newt's eyes went wide as he glanced down to the ring and then the Niffler.

"Has he escaped recently? To the outside world?"

"No" Newt answered eyes widening

Tina's heartbeats wildly increased as she whispered looking into her boyfriends eyes "Why has he got an engagement ring Newt?" She gulped "Why would there be one in the apartment?" She desperately tried not to be so excited but couldn't help herself from smiling slightly

"It's not what it looks like!" Newt's reacted to her expression but then tried to backtrack when he saw and hated the flash of disappointment in her eyes "I mean yes that does look like an engagement ring but it's not from here... I don't know where he could have got it though, maybe it was something I missed it in one of my Niffler raids."

"Oh" Tina looked down at the Niffler trying not to let her upset show, it really wasn't working.

"I mean" He babbled trying to get the smile back on her face "He could have got an engagement ring from around here though" Newt admitted as Tina's head shot to him.

"What?" She blinked shocked looking exactly as Newt did at that moment, he hadn't meant to reveal that but he just just couldn't keep quite as he continued to talk.

"He just couldn't have gotten that one from inside because it was never here, I never brought it in here..." Newt gestured to the ring and continued to babble aiming to make her feel better "I mean I like to think the one I picked out for you is so much better then that one." Newt scoffed at the ring "I mean I know Niffer likes shiny things but he should have some taste really" He continued to babble until Tina narrowed down on the key piece of information she had been given.

"You've picked out an engagement ring? Is it for me?" Tina asked shocked and Newt's eyes widened even more.

"Well who else would it be for?" He exclaimed before he realised what he just told her "I didn't mean to tell you that" He gulped looking sheepish and rubbing a hand through his hair "I had a plan and everything for next week, Jacob and Queenie were even helping me!"

Tina laughed "You have my sister and her boyfriend helping you to pro-"

"Propose to you, yes" Newt nodded biting his lip sheepishly "She read my mind you see-"

"And wouldn't let you plan it alone" Tina laughed smiling brightly "No wonder all the sudden there was more wedding magazines around our apartment... I just thought she was trying to tell Jacob something."

"She might be" Newt smiled " I mean your sister has a way to get what she wants, I wanted to do it by myself but she wouldn't let me" Newt looked back down on the ring and decided he wanted a certain answer "So even though this ring really doesn't suit you how would you react if this was to be your engagement ring?" He gestured to the ring "What would you say?"

"To the ring or the proposal?" She asked

"Proposal"

"Well this isn't my ring though, I can't really give you a correct answer" Tina smirked "You have to show me the correct ring for my answer Mr Scamander." She flirted slightly

"Oh" Newt nodded "That does make sense" and before Tina could even blink he pulled a ring box out of his trouser pocket, he opened it picked up the ring and through the box carelessly to the side as with the new ring in hand, making Tina speechless Newt got down on one knee. Neither of them had realized that Niffler who was still being held by Tina had now managed to get her necklace and stuff it into his pouch after that successful grab he then noticed the engagement ring that Newt was holding out and even though it looked a bit understated and smaller then the one they had had just taken away from him, it was a lot shinier than the previous one and while it perfect for Tina, (even though Niffler didn't really care about that all), all Niffler thought about was how he needed to snatch the ring from Newt before he could do anything about it.

"Tina..." Newt took a deep breath "The best day of my life was when you took me to your ministry of magic and tried to arrest me" He smiled as she chuckled shaking her head as he grinned wider "I met you, and through that meeting I made true friends for the first time in my life and while it took us a while, we fell in love, we have overcome so much and I wouldn't change one single second of our time together for the world. So Tina Goldstein would please do me the honour of allowing me to become your husband... please?" He added hopefully as Tina let out a delighted laugh.

"Yes!" Tina exclaimed unaware that she was still holding Niffler who saw this as the chance to escape and he did so successfully as Newt leapt up and kissed her soundly on her lips both of them smiling brightly as they embraced each other, both wrapped up in each other that they didn't realise what had just happened.

"Thank you" Newt whispered against her lips as the kiss broke off.

"You're very welcome, sorry your original plans got messed up" She whispered back before kissing him again.

"Ah well, I think I like this way was better then the other one" He drew back "I'm just glad you liked the ring enough you said yes."

"Newt" Tina shook her head "All you had to do was ask me and I would have said yes in a heartbeat, I want you, not the ring" She kissed him again and he felt pure happiness surround them.

"It's funny in a way, and appropriate" Tina smiled as they pulled away, foreheads touching as they let the happiness overwhelm them.

"What is?" Newt mumbled

"Well we met because Niffler escaped and now we are engaged because he escaped again!" They both laughed until they realised something.

"Where is Niffler?" Tina asked

Newt looked over his shoulder to see that the ring he was holding to put on Tina's finger had disappeared.

"Where's your engagement ring?"

Tina and Newt looked puzzled for a second at each other until they moved their heads in perfect sync to look towards Niffler who was now lying on the couch looking very happy at his new prize;Tina's engagement ring which he had snatched from Newt's hand unnoticed as they were celebrating their engagement.

Tina giggled uncharacteristically resting her head on his shoulder as Newt groaned again.

"I need to find a way to keep him off our stuff" Newt muttered "We're going to wake up to find our wedding rings gone! Though maybe with your gift you be able to stop him" Newt mused as he kissed the top of her head revealing in the vibration of the laugh coming from her.

Tina smiled at just the image of waking up beside Newt, she hummed as she went to play with her necklace perfectly content with this moment until she realised her necklace too was missing.

"Well... I'm starting to doubt my gift with him, not only has he just stole my engagement ring before I could even try it on, he's now stolen my necklace as well!"

They both moved to stared at each other again and whilst holding each others gaze together they cast the same spell at the mischievous creature.

" _Accio!"_

For the second time in 15 minutes Niffler was in the air again, he didn't mind much though as Newt took the ring off him and placed it upon Tina's finger, for he now knew that some more shiny things would soon be living with him for him to pillage and he was quite happy to bid his time, his plan went perfectly.

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 **Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what other animals you'd want me to write about as prompts that would help me greatly thank you!**


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